With Christmas just days away, the realization that 2013 will soon be coming to a close is setting in. With the New Year approaching comes a time to reflect on the past year, and set goals for what you would like to achieve in the year to follow. Some set New Year’s resolutions, but as many of you know I am not a firm believer in that method. Realistically you can set a goal for yourself at any point during the year, so why wait until the New Year?!

My word for 2012 was… Me. I was in a slump. Battling post-partum depression. I was notorious for putting myself on the back burner. I made a pact with myself that this needed to change. I needed to set more time aside for myself. After all there is only one me in life. I had to be the best me that I could be. By making simple changes to my diet and lifestyle I dropped 60 pounds. 2012 brought with it a few downward spirals, but I still walked away from the year happier than ever.

2013, I set my focus on dreams. I may be a small town girl, but I am one that has big dreams. I have a lot of aspirations in life. My goal for 2013 was to focus on achieving some of those dreams. While I didn’t cross every goal off my list, I did my best. I landed a gig with an awesome company collaborating with them on social media marketing campaigns. The only thing I didn’t do was enroll in the program to start studying for my personal trainer certification. There is still time for that though.

Which now leads us towards 2014…

My word for 2014 will be accountability.

With my 3rd child’s due date being just shy of two months away I know how important it is to me that I remain accountable. Not only during pregnancy, but also as a new Mom. I have worked so hard to stay on track of remaining active during my pregnancy that the last thing I want is to fall off the bandwagon when March rolls around. Not to say I won’t cut back a little bit to enjoy some downtime with my new little bundle because I know I will, but at the same time… I also will need to learn to be accountable in order to put myself first. Something I wasn’t so good at after the birth of my son in February of 2011.

During my pregnancy, I have been using the Fitbook Mama2B by Fitlosophy to stay on track. I love this personal little journal. It has been a great way for me to create game plans and goals throughout my pregnancy while also being apply to track my personal achievements and progress.

This book has not only been a great journal, but wonderful in that it has offered me a lot of helpful pointers along the way. The pointers I haven’t always looked at as advice, but as motivation to keep on striving and pushing on through.

Let’s face it there are many times during pregnancy when you just feel too sluggish or tired to get on your feet. With the journal, I love that I am able to look back and see if maybe it is my diet that could be contributing to making me feel sluggish. I’ve certainly found over time that I have been notorious for not drinking enough water or skipping out on my prenatal vitamin, which a lack there of can cause fatigue (especially during pregnancy).

The FitBook Mama2B also offers tips on ways to bounce back after baby.

You certainly can’t expect to bounce back to your pre-pregnancy body right after giving birth to baby. It’s just a little known fact. Did you know that your uterus expands up to 500 times the original size during pregnancy? Once your baby has been delivered it can take 6 to 8 weeks for your uterus to return to original size. So it is important to remember as a Mom-to-be not to be hard on ourselves once we deliver our wee bundles. We aren’t just going to fit into our pre-pregnancy clothing right away. That being said, it is important to remember that by remaining an active lifestyle during pregnancy it will help with your recovery post-pregnancy.

I also love that the FitBook Mama2B emphasizes the importance of taking time to rest once the baby has arrived! It’s imperative.

The FitBook by Fitlosophy has certainly helped me stay on track through 2013, and I look forward to using it again through 2014 to remain on the path of being accountable.

Are you pregnant? And, looking for away to track your progress during pregnancy? Enter to win your own copy of the FitBook Mama2B by Fitlosophy.